


Before The Fracture

by dasakuryo



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Headcanon, Minor Character Death, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 10:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasakuryo/pseuds/dasakuryo
Summary: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, Ahsoka Tano met three children who paid for the Republic's sins.I. Jyn | II. Bodhi | III. Cassian





	Before The Fracture

**Author's Note:**

> How Ahsoka meeting Jyn, Bodhi and Cassian might have gone has always intrigued me. So this short story came to be, hope you enjoy the read!

"Please, at least consider it, Saw," Ahsoka said in a soft voice that she tried her hardest it didn't sound pleading.

Saw's expression did not quiver in the slightest. If anything, it hardened even more, lips tight and jaw clenched. He glared at her before practically growling, "there's nothing to consider. My decision's been made."

Ahsoka felt his anger pulsing through the Force in overwhelming, throat-tightening waves. She sucked in a breath before trying a conciliatory, "you know it's for the best. And we can help with supplies."

Saw sneered before retorting acidly, "Is it really? Wouldn't have thought idleness was in your skill-set, Tano. Or are you forgetting Onderon?"

Something dark and dangerous flickered through the man's gaze when he uttered that last question. Heaviness tugged at Ahsoka's chest and the grip of emotions rippling through the Force were smothering her. The next blow hanged in the air that had suddenly got to hard to breathe.

"I overestimated you," Saw spoke and his voice was still thick with contained anger, "of all people in the Rebellion, I'd assumed you would be the first to make Mothma come to her senses. But it seems I was mistaken."

"Saw, we need to agree on—" Ahsoka tried again, but it was useless.

"You know Mothma and her senator friends are wrong," Saw cut in, "just like they were wrong during the Clone Wars."

Ahsoka tried to answer back, but found herself at a loss for words all of a sudden. She blew a heavy sigh, yet held Saw's gaze. There was truly no way in which she could convince him, and part of her knew that Saw's words held a truth. The Empire hadn't waited to crush their enemies, they hadn't held back at all ever since Order 66. The Purge, the enslavement, the invasions... it all had kept going.

It'd never stopped.

War had never stopped.

And Ahsoka found no way out of its clawing grip, no matter how hard she'd tried to for years.

"If you ever change your mind—" she tried once more, but fell silent as soon as Saw fixed a steely glare on her.

"Now, is that all?" Saw practically snorted, "or do you have any other message from the Rebellion for me, General Tano?"

Ahsoka didn't utter a sound. Saw tightened his grip on his staff.

"You know the way out, don't you?"

"The journey was a long and difficult one," Ahsoka answered in a conciliatory tone instead, softening her gaze as she spoke, "would it be possible to enjoy your hospitality for—"

"As you please, General," his voice tinged with an edge of mockery and sarcasm.

Saw didn't wait for her answer and she doubted he'd heard her thank you. Saw staggered away down the corridor and took the turn to the control room. Ahsoka bit her lip, shaking her head, a ragged sigh escaped from her lips soon afterwards. She figured it would be best not to follow him, Saw might take it as as a veiled coax.

She'd felt his anxiety, his throat-clenching worry swirling in the Force... but his rage had been smothering, pulsing and pulsing, searing.

Ahsoka couldn't blame him. She knew this was risky and that Mon should not have sent her, but Bail had convinced her that perhaps it was her who was in the best position to bridge the differences and reach an understanding with Saw, given they knew each other from the Clone Wars. Ahsoka hadn't been of the same opinion for a myriad of reasons, reasons she'd unsuccessfully tried to explain to Bail. Now Ahsoka wondered if Idrissa would be able to get through Saw at all... she'd tried to warn Bail about the complicated and painful past that tied her to Saw Gerrera-

A sudden clank pulled Ahsoka from her thoughts. A colourful curse came quickly after. She followed the sound until she came to a doorway. It was a girl who had come up with such a creative expletive, she kept mumbling under her breath, standing on her toes as she struggled to reach the toolbox on the shelf. No matter how much she stretched out her arm, she could barely touch the durasteel with her fingertips.

The girl groaned.

“Do you need help with that?” Ahsoka said after tapping on the doorframe.

She wasn't expecting the girl to gasp and take a step back, wide open green eyes in shock and hand dropping quickly to her hip. Her fear was like rogue waves in a storm in the Force, and Ahsoka was quick to spread her arms out in a conciliative gesture. The girl's rigid posture slackened lightly, taut shoulders still. Her slightly narrowed eyes were cautious, following her every move.

“I can reach that for you,” Ahsoka said casually, “if you'd like.”

The girl shrugged her shoulders feigning indifference. When Ahsoka approached, the girl walked backwards towards the working table and sat on a stool. There was a swish, then a lone, sharp pulse in the Force. Security. A brief glance confirmed Ahsoka's suspicion; the girl's fingers were wrapped around a baton. The pulse of her fear was spine-chilling, stifling in an entirely different way than Saw's rage.

“There. You're all set now,” the toolbox met the table with a clank.

“Thanks,” the girl said but evaded her gaze, her fingers relaxed around the baton when Ahsoka put some distance. She shot her a wary gaze before focusing on rummaging through the contents of the box.

Ahsoka noticed she stole swift glances in her direction out of the corner of her eye. A little girl, she was, perhaps close to the age Ahsoka had been when she landed on Cristophsis. The flickering thought weighed heavy on her chest, she'd have never expected Saw to have recruits this young. Although now that she thought about it... why wasn't this girl with everyone else?

The girl's anxiety kept bubbling and Ahsoka'd rather stop troubling her—

But there was something that drew her closer. The Force folded around her like murk, but there was something else trudging amidst that mist, something... warm. Light, a flickering faint yet bright light that shone amidst the darkness that twirled around her, threatening to snuff the twinkling fire out.

And then the girl's lips curled into a nervous smile and something inside Ahsoka shattered. She'd known someone else just like that, someone whose light had always been under threat of dying out, suffocated by the encircling dark.

_Don't get snippy with me, little one._

_You're stuck with me, Skyguy._

Numbing pain tore through her chest. The memories resurfaced, bringing tears to her eyes. She blinked, lowered her gaze to the floor, in an effort to hide her unease. The girl glanced at her for a second longer this time. Her hand hovered over the scandoc she'd been about to grab moments ago. Ahsoka cleared her throat and locked eyes with her, a small, curious smile tugging at her lips. The girl didn't shy her gaze away, her fingers twitched, and a dip took shape next to the corner of her mouth.

“Are those yours?” the former Jedi asked.

The girl nodded, and a brown lock spilled out from her bun at the movement. Ahsoka took a step forward, a wordless question hanging in the silence. The girl handed the scandoc over.

“Did you make this?” Ahsoka asked, inspecting it appreciatively.

The girl replied with a whispered yeah, then jutted out her lower lip and shrugged, bashful, as if it wasn't such big of a deal. Ahsoka noted her tension was slowly washing away, her presence in the Force was warmer now.

“Most impressive,” Ahsoka said, offering her warm smile. “Most impressive, indeed.”

A smile played about the girl's face, suddenly alight. She licked her lips before replying in a less timid tone, “Jyn,” she said, “my name's Jyn.”

“I'm Ahsoka.”

She tried not to dwell too much on why Jyn seemed more comfortable around her now, nor wonder what might have fuelled her initial paralysing fear towards her. Jyn titled her head and creases trudged their way on her forehead for a fleeting second.

“You know Saw from the war,” she asked straightforwardly. “Don't you?”

“Yes,” her throat tightened, “from the Clone Wars.”

Jyn fell silent for a moment, engrossed in the comparison between her forgery and the original imperial id. She blew out a sigh, fiddled with the tester and hunched over her craftwork.

“You knew Steela?” Jyn asked then, striking a bright tone.

Ahsoka's heart sank.

“Yes, I knew her,” she managed to force the answer out of her mouth.

“What was she like?”

Before Ahsoka could answer, clanks echoed from the hall. She lifted her gaze and met Saw's slightly narrowed eyes. The tautness on his jaw evaporated when he turned to look at Jyn.

“Jyn, Maia needs your help with some blasters,” his tone commanding, yet calm.

Jyn slid off the stool as she blew out a sigh. Saw's gaze followed her as he walked past him and into the corridor. The gentleness in his face vanished, as quickly as his anger had moments later, when he stared back at Ahsoka. The pulse was back, searing, burning and painful in the Force.

“She's bright,” Ahsoka let out, and she knew not why exactly. “Who's she? I didn't know you took in-”

“She's my daughter,” Saw cut her short.

The pulse mutated into a suffocating grip, one that wrung her heart tightly. Saw was glaring at her from the doorway. Suddenly, spine-chilling cold rippled beneath the waves of anger lapping furiously at her senses.

In that moment, Ahsoka knew Saw hadn't told her the whole truth either. She walked towards him and the man straightened up, leaning on his staff. The expression etched to Saw's features did not change at her proximity. She was about to walk past and out the room when a sudden thought flickered through her mind. Perhaps if she—

“If you're worried about her-”

“I can take care of her, General,” he said a breath away from a grunt.

“The Alliance headquarters have more protection,” she insisted. She didn't want to give up on this. Many children had been paying the price of her blindness and the Republic's negligence for far too long. If she could at least, do something now. “If you wish I can make arrangements so Jyn can—”

“I'll pass on that offer, General.”

“I can protect—”

_“Like you protected Steela?”_

This time he didn't mask his fury, not one bit. His voice had dropped into a frustrated, pained growl. Nostrils flaring, he pierced her with his enraged glare to her very bones. Steela's fearful face flashed through her mind, and her screams echoed loud in her head, resurfacing from the depths of her memories.

"Saw," she tried to speak through the lump constricting her throat, "I promise I'll—"

"I can protect her," Saw cut in again, voice as angered as before. "I won't make the same mistake _twice_."

Ahsoka lowered her gaze, nodding as a pang of guilt suffocated her. Saw didn't wait for her to add anything else, he turned around and staggered down the corridor. Each clank made a shiver run up Ahsoka's back. When she blinked, Steela's terrified face stared at her amidst the soft darkness.

* * *

Ahsoka didn't miss the way light gleamed on Saw's face each time he talked to or about Jyn. It was as if that flickering ember of hers pierced through the darkness enveloping him, sparkling to life the small, glimmering light buried deep within him which hadn't died yet.

Ahsoka had no doubts he'd protect the child, even at the sake of his own life. The fierce determination in his eyes told her as much, he was willing to do whatever it took to keep Jyn safe.

 

"I gather the negotiations were not as fruitful as we expected," Mon Mothma said, welcoming her in the hangar.

Ahsoka walked down the ramp, shaking her head, lekku swaying on her chest. She blew out a sigh before meeting the woman's gaze, something about her neutral gaze bore a reminiscence of Padmé—

"They weren't a complete disaster," Ahsoka prompted, her voice striking a hopeful tone. "Saw Gerrera has agreed to hold a meeting with Alliance command."

Ahsoka had no idea what was behind Saw's change of heart, right before she boarded her ship back to Yavin. He was still suspicious, reluctant to accept the offer of joining the Alliance, but agreed to a meeting with Mothma and Organa before setting his decision in stone.

A smile dangled on Mon Mothma's lips.

* * *

The Partisan delegation arrived at Yavin IV's Base on a small freighter. The party was preceded by Saw Gerrera's towering figure, flanked by a brown human female of cold-calculating gaze and a male Tognath with an upright, almost battling, stance. Mothma greeted them all with a respectful bow of her head and offered them to help themselves to the Mess Hall for some refreshments after such a long journey, Saw grabbed his staff tighter as whole acknowledgement, and followed the rebel Sargent showing them the way.

When they walked past her, Ahsoka saw Jyn, chin-up, strutting behind Saw.

 

"I appreciate your coming here," Bail Organa thanked Saw, extending his hand forward.

Bail's breath got caught in his throat, yet the tension only lasted a moment, for Saw took his hand and gave it a lone, sharp shake.

"This doesn't mean I am agreeing to joining the Alliance," the man clarified as his gaze hardened.

Bail's lips curled into a wan, conciliatory smile.

"I completely understand. It is not my wish to impose on you, General Gerrera, quite the contrary."

An amused smile flickered through Saw's battered face, his voice was filled with mirth when he spoke next, "that's certainly surprising, coming from a Core-worlder."

Far from being offended at the clear jab, Bail's expression clouded and his smile faltered. Yet, he nodded, and patted the partisan on the arm.

"I aim to right the wrongs of the past, General."

Saw said nothing, merely hummed. Jyn chose that exact moment to shift in her place behind Saw, her small frame peered from behind his figure. Bail's gaze instantly fell upon her, and just as quickly as his face had gloomed, it brightened again at the sight of the child.

"Greetings, young one."

At the sudden attention, Jyn fidgeted on her spot and swayed up a bit on her toes. She only managed a nervous smile.

"Jyn. My daughter," Saw said casually, before Bail even got the chance to ask any question.

Bail's eyes flickered from the girl to Saw, then back to the girl, moving restlessly on her spot, biting her lip. Bail felt a wave of admiration course through him when he locked eyes again with Saw. His thoughts went to Leia, and warmth rippled through his chest. Anyone who took in a child and raised them as their own, was worth of the utmost respect in Bail's books.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jyn," said Bail.

Jyn tittered, shying her gaze away from Bail's gentle smile.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter was inspired by the panel on the Rogue One comic adaptation in which Saw, Jyn, Bail and Leia are seen in the War room of Yavin IV. It made me wonder how that meeting might have come to be, an in came the idea of Ahsoka trying to convince Saw to join the Alliance. Of course, I may have taken some licences with the canon time-line. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. Feedback is most welcomed and truly appreciated! :)


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